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Focus Magazine | Current Issue | Spring 2015

Focus on Workplace Training: APICS

Spring 2014

Apr 3, 2014

APICS, the global leader in supply chain and operations management training and education, relies on Fox Valley Technical College to provide online prep classes for its certification exams. The company offers industry-standard credentials, including Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certifications.

To develop the online courses, APICS Director of Professional Development, Bob Collins, has worked closely with Anne Haberkorn, FVTC’s dean of information technology and distance learning. “Fox Valley Technical College is the only partner we allow to offer online prep courses,” Collins says. “APICS exams are rigorous certifications required for employment or advancement.”

The need for supply chain management stems from an increasingly large number of companies that are employing lean-related principles in order to thrive in a global economy. Supply chain management plays a large role in the process of moving a product or service from supplier to customer.

Under Haberkorn’s leadership, FVTC began developing the first APICS online course in 2004 with prep courses for five CPIM modules. In 2008, FVTC launched the CSCP program. The option of taking courses online has helped APICS expand its market to those who cannot attend typical face-to-face classes.

“The Fox Valley Tech advantage lets students get online at any time to do their work,” says Collins, “and instructors are available to answer questions through email or Skype. It’s the best of both worlds.”